Outboard-motor tachometer organization



Dec. 10, 1929. G. w. HARRY 1,733,772

OUTBOARD MOTOR TACHOMETER ORGANIZATION Filed Sept. 17, 1928 PatentedDec. 10, a 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcr.

GORDON W. HARRY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO A C SPARK PLUG COMPANY.

l I FLINT, MICHIGAN, A COMPANY OF MICHIGAN I OUTBOARD-MOTOR TACHOMETERORGANIZATION Application filed September 17, 1928. Serial No. 306,355.

- This invention relates to means for, or methods of, mountingtachometers, or the like, upon outboard motors which are so secured asto permit pivotal movement thereof,-as for.

steering; and it is accordingly a general object of this invention toprovide simpler and more convenient means than have heretofore beenavailable for observing the actual per formance of movably mountedmotors.

Outboard motors in current use may upwardly terminate in rotating parts,such as fly wheels; and preferred embodiments of this invention,necessitating no change either in indicating instruments or in outboardmotors,

may include substantially rigid but adjustable and shiftable means forsupporting the nonrotary parts of tachometers or other speedresponsiveinstruments from some frame or other non-rotary part of a motor,thissupporting means being preferably used in conjunction with some flexibleand/or readily disconnectible means of coupling rotatable parts of thetachometer, or equivalent instrument, with a rotary part, such as thecrank shaft, of the outboard motor.

The problem of providing said means for indicating the rate of rotationof any shaft is obviously complicated.(1) in proportion as provision ismade for varying the direction in which said shaft may extend; and thisproblem is further complicated, in the case of an outboard motor, (2) bythe fact that those parts whose rate is to be observed may rotate uponsubstantially vertical or upwardly extending axes, (3) by the fact thatsaid rotary parts may be associated with or fixed on nonrotary parts ata level unfavorable to use of the latter to carry any instrument orinstruments, and (4) by the fact that any connec- 0 tion between such amotor and a tachometer or equivalent instrument should be such as topermit of easy shifting and/or dlsconnection of said instrument,-as forthe purpose of cranking the motor by means of a rope or for the purposeof any desired inspection or repair of parts.

Other objects of this invention, including a comparatively shortflexible drive or connect in g element which comprises aquick-detachable coupling device, and including means for so supportinga tachometer, or its equivalent, as normally to maintain atorque-transmitting connection between interengaging parts of saidcoupling device, and including also various features which enable thesame tachometer organization to be used with motors differing in size ordesign, may be best appreciated from the following description of anillustrative embodiment of said invention,-

taken in connection with the appended claims and the accompanyingdrawings.

Fig. 1 may be referred to as a side perspective View, with parts brokenaway.

Fig. 2 is a partial elevational view the general direction indicated bythe arrow 2 of-Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View, on an enlarged scale, takensubstantially as indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to details of that embodiment of the present invention chosenfor purposes of illustration, an outboard motor 10 is shown as securedto a tail board 11, no other part of the boat comprising this boardbeing shown; and means such as a clamp comprising a j aw 12 and a handwheel 13 may be employed to so secure the said motor to said tail boardas to permit any desired relative movement therebetween,-as, bymanipulation of a steering arm 14. I

Although details of construction of the various rotary and non-rotaryparts of the motor organization are comparatively immaterial to thepresent invention, it will be noted that the steering arm 14 is shown asrigidly connected with a U-frame 15, the inner ends of this frame beingsecured to bosses 16, provided upon oppositely-extending cylinders 17,17 and a fly wheel 18 is shown as surmounted by a special adapter orcoupling nut 19,-threaded upon an upward extension 20 of a taperedterminal portion 21 of a crank shaft 22; In order to utilize a part ofthe U-frame 15, or an equivalent non-rotary part of the motor 10, in sosupporting a tachometer 23, or its equivalent, as to render the latterresponsive to variations in the rate of rotation of arts such as the flywheel 18 and/or the shaft 22, at the same time permitting the saidtachometer to be readily disconnected taken in means such as acomparatively rigi bracket .24 may be employed in connection with asuitable flexible drive extendin between said nut and rotatable parts ofsai tachometer.

The bracket 24 is shown as comprising a normally vertical arm 25 andanormally horizontal arm 26; it may be secured, as by means such as aclamp 27, to one of the parallel le of the U-frame 15; and means such asan a ditional clamp 28, comprisin a tachometer-carrying plate 29 and aho t 30, shown as carrying a wing nut 31, may be employed rigidly butadjustably to secure the tachometer 23 in a desired position relativelyto the arm 26,-.the mentioned position being such as normall to maintaina driving connection or contact etween interengaging parts of thementioned flexible or other drive 32 extending between the nut 19 andthe tachometer 23.

Assumin the motor 10 to have been originally provided, by themanufacturer thereof, with some nut adapted to secure the fly wheel 18upon the crank shaft 22, or its equivalent, the nut 19, then assumed tobe employed in replacement of the original nut so provided, may includenot only an externally non-circular section 33, suitable for engagementby a wrench, but an internally noncircular section 34,-the latter beingshown as provided with a square opening 35, adapted to receive acorrespondlngly noncircular terminal or coupling member 36, upon one endof a flexible drive cable 37, extending to the tachometer 23, to operatethe indicatmg mechanism of the latter. The cable 37 is shown asprotected b a tubin 38, terminating within a bushing 39, an the lattermay be secured, by means such as a retainer 40, to a bearing body41,with which the non-circular coupling element 36 may be integral; butit will be understood that the details of construction here referred tomay be of less practical importance than such a proportionlng of'thementioned parts, and such a positioning of the tachometer 23 relativelythereto, as to assure a light but reliable application of pressure(whether due to the action of gravity or resiliency of the tubing 38, orto both) tending normally to hold the interengaging non-circularcoupling elements 34 and 36 in motion-transmittingcontact,-notwithstanding any tilting and/or steering manipulation of theentire motor 10 by means of the arm 14 or its equivalent.

In use, it will be seen that the instrument 23 is positioned favorablyto easy observation; that the flexible drive coupling may, however, bequickly disconnected at will (as, for the purpose of cranking the motorby the use of a knotted rope, not shown, in a known manner) and that, asa further precaution against damage to the instrument 23 during suchcranking or during any desired inspection or repair, clamping bolts, orthe nuts inseam upon one or more of a plurality of bolts such as areshown at 42, 42, and 43 may be so loosened as to permit a shifting ofsaid instrument to an out-of-the-way position,

somewhat as suggested at 23, 23", and 23" '1 The clamp 27 will be seento be adjustable longitudinal the frame 15 upon which it is secured: Thearm 25 will be seen to be-longitudinally and rotatively adjustable withreference to said clamp; and the clamp 28 will be seen to be ad justable both longitudinally and rotatively of the arm 26 of saidbracket,-the result being that provision is made for positionaladjustment in any or all of three planes, at right angles to oneanother, and for rotative adjustment to a preferred angle.

Although the foregoing description has included but one specificembodiment of this invention, it should be understood not only thatvarious features thereof might be independently used, and that theorganization referred to may advantageously be employed even uponoutboard motors which are not adapted to be used in steering, but alsothat numerous modifications and adaptations to-specifie outboard motorsmight easily be devised,-all without involving the slightest departurefrom the spirit and scope of this invention, as

the same is indicated above and in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An outboard motor organization comprising: a pivotally mounted motorincluding a non-rotary frame and a rotary shaft; a speed-responsiveinstrument; means for driving said instrument from said shaft; andshiftable means for supporting said instrument from said frame.

2. An outboard motor organization comprising: a movably mounted motorincluding a non-rotary frame and a rotary shaft; a speed-responsiveinstrument; means for driving said instrument from said shaft; andshift-able means for supporting said instrument from said frame,saidshiftable means comprising a bracket member provided with a clamp memberengaging said frame. 3. An outboard motor organization comprising: amovably mounted motor including a non-rotary frame and a rotary shaft; aspeed-responsive instrument; means for driving said instrument from saidshaft; and shiftable means for supporting said instrument from saidframe,said driving means comprising a coupling which includesinterengaging parts, and means tending yieldably to maintain said partsin engagement.

4. An outboard motor organization comprising: a movably mounted motorincluding a frame and a rotary shaft; a speed-responsive instrument;means for driving said instrument from said shaft; and shiftable meansfor supporting said instrument from y and rotatively of that element ofsaid fra1n e,-said driving means comprising a flexible connection and acoupling; and said supporting means being so proportioned in relationthereto as normally to maintain parts of said coupling in contact.

An outboard motor organization comprising: a movably mounted motorincluding a non-rotary frame and a rotary shaft; a speed-responsiveinstrument; means for driv ing said instrument from said shaft; andshiftable means for supporting said instrument from said f'ame,saidsupporting means comprising a bracket having a substantially verticalarm and a substantially horizontal arm, and means for clamping saidsubstantially vertical arm to said frame.

6. An outboard motor organization comprising: a movably mounted motorincluding a non-rotary frame and a rotary shaft; a speed-responsiveinstrument means for driving said instrument from said shaft; andshiftable means for supporting said instrument from said frame,saiddriving means comprising a flexible element terminating in anon-circular part, and said shaft being provided with a nut having acorresponding non-circular part.

7. An outboard motor organization comprising: a movably mounted motorincluding a non-rotary frame and a rotary shaft; a speed-responsiveinstrument; means for driving said instrument from said shaft; andshiftable means for supporting said instru ment from said frame,-saidframe being provided with a steering handle, said supporting means beingadjustably but rigidly connected for movement therewith.

8. An outboard motor organization comprising: a movably mounted motorincluding a non-rotary frame and a rotary shaft; 9.

speed-responsive instrument; means for driv-- ing said instriunent fromsaid shaft; and shiftable means for supporting said.instru ment fromsaid frame,-said supporting means comprising means for adjustment ofparts thereof in three planes.

9. In combination: an outboard motor including both non-rotary parts,which are manipulable by a steering handle, and rotary parts; atachometer; means, comprising a separable connection, for transmittingmotion to said tachometer from one of said rotating parts; and shiftablemeans for normally sup porting said tachometer from one of said non.-

rotary parts.

10. In combination: an outboard motor includin both non-rotary parts,which are manipulalile by a steering handle, and rotary parts atachometer means, comprising a separable connection, for transmittingmotion to said tachometer from one of said rotating parts; and shiftablemeans for normally so supporting said tachometer from one of saidnon-rotary parts as to maintain said separable connection.

non-rotary parts as to maintain said separable connection,saidlast-mentioned part being comprised in a steering frame, and saidshift-- able means comprising a bracket which is provided with a clampmember engaging said frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GORDON W. HARRY.

